John Clay's Sidelines

Photo by David Stephenson.

News and notes from South Carolina’s 78-77 win over Kentucky:

• Here’s the link to the Herald-Leader slideshow on the game.

• Billy Gillispie’s post-game press conference.

• Darrin Horn’s post-game press conference.

• This was South Carolina’s first win in Rupp since 1997, and just its second win in Lexington in 23 tries.

• Kentucky committed 21 turnovers, the ninth time this year it has topped the 20-turnover mark.

• South Carolina had more offensive rebounds (18) than defensive rebounds (17).

• This was Billy Gillispie’s first home-floor conference loss at Kentucky.

• Kentucky shot 52.1 percent, and suffered its first conference loss shooting over 50 percent since Feb. 25, 2007. The Cats shot 58.1 percent at Vanderbilt, but lost 65-63.

• After scoring two points in the first half, Jodie Meeks scored 18 in the second half.

• DeAndre Liggins made two of seven shots. He’s made five of 23 shots in his last two games.

• Michael Porter did not score in 23 minutes. He’s scored three points in his last four games.

• UK actually figured out to 1.044 points per possession, compared to 1.038 for South Carolina. But the stats figured out to 75.1 possessions for Carolina and 73.8 for Kentucky.

• Billy Gillispie said, and Perry Stevenson confirmed, that Stevenson was supposed to call timeout the second time UK tried to in-bounds the basketball. But Stevenson said that Meeks was open, and he thought Meeks could get the ball to halfcourt.

For those who want just the news and not the chat of the liveblog format, then I’ll be posting updates from today’s Kentucky-South Carolina game on this post.

• Meeks misses shot from just inside half-court and Kentucky loses 78-77.

• Downey over Meeks with 3.2 left to put Carolina up 78-77.

• UK up 77-76 but Carolina has ball with 22.2 left.

• South Carolina leads 69-68 at 2:51 TV time. UK is shooting 48.9 percent but down by one. The turnover count for the Cats is 21. Patterson leads all scorers with 26. Fredrick still with 24 for Carolina. Downey hit a tough three in front of Carolina bench to put the visitors in front. Kentucky is up 39-34 on boards, but Carolina has grabbed key offensive rebounds. Muldrow has 12 boards for USC.

• UK goes up 68-66 on Stevenson follow jam at 3:54 mark. Carolina calls time.

• It’s 63-60 South Carolina with 7:39 remaining. This is a dogfight. UK is shooting 51.3 percent, but down by 3. The Cats have turned it over 19 times, to 8 for Carolina. The Gamecocks have 26 points off turnovers. Fredrick has 24 for visitors. Downey has 15. Patterson leads UK with 24.

• Liggins picks up charge with 10:17 left and we go to TV timeout. Carolina leads 59-58. UK actually leads 31-30 on boards but it doesn’t seem that way.

• Carolina has scored nine straight to go up 59-58 and UK calls time with 10:29 left.

• UK up 52-44 with 15:30 left in game. Cats have hit six of eight shots this half. Meeks has scored 11 points. He’s 4-of-5.

• UK’s minutes: Harris 14, Porter 7, Stevenson 16, Meeks 11, Patterson 20, Miller 10, Galloway 6, Liggins 12, Harrellson 4.

• Fredrick leads all scorers with 16 for Carolina.

• Patterson has 14 points and six rebounds.

• USC is 2-of-10 on 3s. UK is 1-of-2. The Gamecocks shot 38.9 percent from floor overall. Kentucky shot 40.7.

• UK’s points: Patterson 14, Liggins 8, Harrellson 5, Stevenson 4, Meeks 2, Galloway 2, Harris 2.

• Liggins nails a 3 at halftime buzzer to put uk up 37-36.

• South Carolina leads 31-26 with 3:48 left in half as tempers have flared, or at least Billy Gillispie’s did, earning the coach a tech. UK is shooting 45 percent. Carolina is shooting 38.7 percent.

• Kentucky leads 19-16 with 7:50 left in half. A very odd and ragged game. UK has turned it over six times and is shooting 40 percent. Carolina is shooting 29.2 Neither team has made a 3.

• It’s 12-6 Kentucky at 11:53 mark but South Carolina will be at the line. Cats have made just 4-of-11 shots, but Carolina is a frigid 2-of-15. Downey is 0-of-4. Fredrick is 0-of-3. The Gamecocks have missed all three of their 3-point attempts.

• Kentucky leads 6-5 at the 15:13 mark. Cats are cold at the start, making just two of eight shots. Meeks is 0-for-2. Carolina is 2-of-7. Carolina has doubled Cats on boards 8-4. And it appears Kentucky is trying to take more time off the clock on offense, as Gillispie mentioned yesterday.

• UK’s starters are Porter, Meeks, Harris, Stevenson and Patterson.

• The officials today are Tony Greene, Pat Aamds and Patrick Evans.

• Tom Hammond and Larry Conley are doing the game for Raycom.

Big Blue Links for Saturday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky will try to cool its trigger fingers today against South Carolina.
• Tipton’s notes include Billy Gillispie saying that Carolina guard Devan Downey is impossible to stop.
• In The State, Seth Emerson writes about Darrin Horn’s Kentucky homecoming.
• The State gives its Kentucky-USC preview.
• In the Courier-Journal, Rick Bozich writes that Horn has an inside ticket to Rupp Arena now.
• Also in the C-J, Brett Dawson writes that UK’s “other three” must find good shots.
• In the Danville Advocate-Messenger, Larry Vaught writes on Carolina’s Downey.
• Brad Senkiw of the Anderson Independent-Mail writes that South Carolina is looking for a big road win at UK.

Continue reading ‘BBL: UK-South Carolina preview’

SEC links for Saturday:

• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports that Florida’s defense will face a tough test in Tennessee.
• In the AJC, Tim Tucker reports on Georgia’s preparations for its first game without Dennis Felton.
• Roger Clarkson of the Athens Banner-Herald blogs that erasing Felton’s memory is a bit premature.
• Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News reports on the battle of the interim coaches.
• Bryan Mullen writes in the Tennessean that the home has not been sweet for Tennessee, of late.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that SEC wars continue over coaches, recruits.
• Also in the News-Sentinel, Mike Strange writes that Tennessee is finally on the basketball map.
• Maurice Patton of the Tennessean writes that Vandy is keeping spirits up despite losing streak.
• Gary Laney of the Baton Rouge Advocate writes that LSU hopes to continue its good play.
• Also in The Advocate, Joseph Schiefelbein writes that Trent Johnson is already a big part of LSU’s history.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Florida puts defense to the test’

College basketball on the tube for Saturday, Jan. 31:

Here’s what I’ve heard from the local radio call-in shows about tonight’s guests (Jan. 30):

• WVLK-590: Jim Tirey of the Cats’ Pause will be Larry Glover’s guest at 7:05 p.m.

• WLAP-630: Dick Gabriel will have NFL Insider Keith Kidd.

Since the loss to Ole Miss, plenty of have been wondering what happened to Michael Porter. The junior guard had been playing at least 20-30 minutes per game, but dropped to just six as DeAndre Liggins was out on the floor missing 13 of his 16 shots.

But with Billy Gillispie, it’s not that unusual for a player to see his minutes go from an abundance one game to almost nothing the next.

Examples:

I didn’t count Ramon Harris, who played 35 minutes against Auburn and then just 7 at Alabama, because the difference was because of his fainting spell at halftime.

Here’s a chart showing that, judging by average points per possession, Kentucky’s defensive effort in the 85-80 loss at Ole Miss was the worst of its SEC season:

Now here’s UK worst five defensive performances of the year, based on points per possession:

Hoops links for Friday:

• John Gasaway at Basketall Prospectus gives his all-underrated team, which includes Patrick Patterson. Gasaway: “The justifiable fuss over Jodie Meeks in Lexington this season has obscured what Patterson is doing: making his shots at an incredible rate. Meeks is so prominent in this offense that unless you look a little closer you might think Patterson’s a mere supporting player. In fact his role in the offense would be that of a featured player on any “normal” team without Meeks. In that role Patterson is incomparably efficient, taking care of the ball and making two out of every three shots from the field. A fair defensive rebounder and shot-blocker, Patterson is also a 78 percent free-throw shooter.” (Hat tip to A Sea of Blue.)

• The Herald-Leader’s Mike Fields talked to legendary girls’ basketball coach Roy Bowling on that 100-0 game in Texas. Fields: ““The first thing I told my wife was that that coach ought to be fired on the spot,” Bowling said. “You can beat somebody, but there’s no reason to rub their face in it.” Covenant Coach Micah Grimes was fired, but only after he refused to apologize. He said he saw no reason for remorse because his team played with “honor and integrity.” Bowling couldn’t believe that statement. “How much honor and integrity do you get out of winning a game like that?” he said. “All you’ve done is make a fool out of yourself.””

• Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis-Star Tribute writes on Minnesota’s amazing defensive effort in win over Illinois. Souhan: “Illinois came into the night with a 20-game winning streak over Minnesota, ranked 19th in the country and rising in the Big Ten. The Illini left wondering how they got beat by a group as deep, anonymous and defensive as the CIA, having scored fewer points than ever before in their history against the Gophers.”

• Terry Bannon of the Chicago Tribune has the loss from the Illinois’ point of view. Bannon: “Of more importance, the loss dropped the 19th-ranked Illini (17-4, 5-3) into a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with Penn State while the Gophers (18-3, 6-3) completed the first half of their Big Ten schedule in third place.”

• ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach asks if Georgia will truly think big in its coaching search. Schlabach: ” For too long, SEC schools have short-changed their basketball programs in terms of coaching salaries and facilities. Want evidence? Tennessee’s football program recently hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, the father of new Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin. Tennessee will pay the elder Kiffin $1.2 million to direct its defense. Monte Kiffin’s salary is more than what eight of the SEC’s 12 basketball coaches are being paid this season. Only Florida’s Billy Donovan ($3.25 million per season), Kentucky’s Billy Gillispie ($2.36 million), Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl ($1.6 million) and Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings ($1.3 million) are being paid more than UT’s defensive coordinator will make this year.”

Continue reading ‘HL: Underrated Pat, Minnesota’s defense, and ethics’